Contre-visite (retest) cost in France: €15 to €30, sometimes free
€15 for a tire or a brake light, €25 for brakes, €35 if the inspection was done at another center: what to budget for each type of defect, and when the contre-visite is free. We compared the prices centers declare to the government and the ones they post on their website.
A car contre-visite costs €15 to €30 in general, according to the prices centers declare to the government (September 2026). On center websites, it is more like €15 for a tire or a brake light, €25 for brakes, and €35 if the contrôle technique (France's mandatory vehicle roadworthiness test) was done at another center. Go back to the center that did your inspection.
Get the list of contrôle technique centers, with the contact details available.
Get the full listPublished on October 14, 2026 · Websites read on October 8 and 9, 2026
In this article
How can you pay less for your contre-visite?#
Four steps, in the order you will take them.
1. Call the center that did the first inspection, with your inspection report (the procès-verbal) in front of you. The inspection report is the paper handed to you after the inspection. Read the listed defects to the center's staff, then ask whether the contre-visite will involve a visual check or test equipment, how much it costs, and whether it is free. → See: the price by defect
2. Have the repairs done wherever you want, then preferably come back to the same center. The inspection center does not repair anything: pick your own auto repair shop. Another inspection center can also do the contre-visite, but ask it first for its price for a car inspected elsewhere: it is often higher. → See: same center or another center?
3. Come back within 2 months. The deadline is written on the inspection report and does not change, even if the car fails the contre-visite. After that, you have to pay for a full inspection again, and you risk a fine. → See: the deadline, and what if it is missed
4. On the day of the contre-visite, bring the original inspection report and the vehicle registration document (the carte grise), according to service-public.fr (the French government's official information site). Without the inspection report, if the center cannot find your inspection in its data, the car goes through a full inspection again.
How much does a contre-visite cost, depending on the defect?#
A contre-visite costs €15 when the inspector only has to look at the repair, and €25 when he or she has to redo a measurement with equipment. That is what the centers that give both prices on their website typically post. There are few of them, and all are outside the big networks (Dekra, Autosur, Autovision, Sécuritest). These networks do not post these prices online; depending on the network, their declared prices typically range from a low of €15 to a high of €30 to €35 (the details).
| What needs rechecking | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Tires, windshield, brake light: the inspector looks at the repair (a "visual" contre-visite) | €15 |
| Brakes, suspension, emissions: the inspector redoes a measurement with equipment (a "bench" contre-visite) | €25 |
| Misaligned headlight: by eye or with equipment, depending on the center | Plan on €25; €15 if the center checks it by eye |
| Other defect | Ask: €15 to €30 typically |
This breakdown comes from the few centers that detail it on their website; yours may classify a defect differently. The inspector chooses the points to recheck, based on the defects found (service-public.fr). Several defects? You pay for only one contre-visite, which rechecks them all. If one of them requires equipment, the price is the one with equipment. For example, defects in a brake light and the suspension require just one contre-visite, costing around €25, not €15 plus €25. When several pieces of equipment are needed, some centers charge more, around €30 (the details).
Where do the €15 to €30 come from? The contre-visite is a follow-up inspection after the initial inspection finds a defect that needs repair. The government does not set its price: according to service-public.fr, the prices of the inspection and of the contre-visite "vary from center to center." Each center declares two contre-visite prices to the government, its cheapest and its most expensive: €15 and €30 typically. Between the two, your price depends on what needs rechecking.
In some regions, the highest price typically climbs to €35 (Île-de-France, Bretagne, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Martinique) or to €45 (Corse, Guadeloupe); elsewhere, it is around €30 (your region).
Should you do the contre-visite at the same center?#
You have a choice: according to service-public.fr, any inspection center can do the contre-visite. But where a center posts two prices, going back to it almost always costs less.
Some centers post two prices on their website: one for their own customers, one for a car coming from another center (often called "external" or "outside"). Almost all charge more for the car that comes from elsewhere, none charge less.
At the same center, the contre-visite typically costs €15; elsewhere, €35. That is more than the €30 announced at the top: for a car coming from elsewhere, these centers most often charge their highest price, or even more. The gap is smaller for a contre-visite with equipment, but going elsewhere is still more expensive in most cases.
The centers that post these two prices are few, and almost all are outside the big networks. The big networks account for nearly half of all centers and almost never post these prices online; if your center belongs to one, we could not compare its two prices, so ask by phone.
Changing centers can be worth it if your center is far from the shop that does the repairs, or if another center offers it free. In that case, compare its price "for a car inspected elsewhere," not its usual price.
Can a contre-visite be free?#
Yes, at 1 center in 11, at least in some cases, according to the prices declared to the government. On the websites of the centers that call it free, the condition most often written next to it is having done the inspection at the same center. Others make only the first contre-visite free. Some centers also provide a free contre-visite even though their officially declared prices do not indicate this. So ask the question, and have the condition spelled out.
Selling to contrôle technique centers? Get the list for your area and your target, ready to call.
Get the full listHow long do you have to do the contre-visite?#
You have 2 months after the inspection, according to service-public.fr. Your inspection report says whether the failure is major or critical. After a major failure, your inspection stays valid for those 2 months, so you have time to get the repairs done. After a critical failure, it is valid only that same day. From the next day, the car has no valid inspection until it is repaired and rechecked.
Past the 2 months, your car no longer has a valid contrôle technique. According to service-public.fr, an owner who does not meet the contrôle technique obligations risks a fine. It is €135 as a general rule, and can go up to €750. You can no longer do a simple contre-visite: according to UTAC, the body that oversees contrôle technique centers for the government, "the vehicle is subject to a new periodic contrôle technique." That is a full inspection, at the price of an inspection (€80 typically). If this new inspection finds a defect again, a new 2-month deadline starts.
What if your car fails the contre-visite?#
Have the remaining defects repaired, then return before the deadline on your inspection report. According to the order that governs the contrôle technique (arrêté of June 18, 1991, article 8), the new contre-visite must be done within 2 months counted from the first inspection. You do not get 2 more months: the deadline stays the one set after the first inspection.
You also have to pay for a second contre-visite unless the center provides it free. Sometimes only the first one is free: ask the price of the second before going back.
If the 2 months have passed, it is no longer a contre-visite: see the deadline above.
Where can you find the contre-visite price?#
The center must post its inspection and contre-visite prices at its entrance, readable from the outside (arrêté of July 29, 2020). The simplest way is still to call the center: the questions to ask are at the top of this page.
On the center's website, it is rare: among the websites we read, fewer than 1 in 10 gives a contre-visite price, and almost none of those of the big networks (the details). If you look there, open the prices page and search for the word "contre-visite." Look for the price called "externe" or "extérieur" (external or outside), the one for a car coming from another center. Also read the condition written after the word "offerte" (free).
The government site prix.conso.gouv.fr lets you search for a center and its prices on a map. If the contre-visite price is not there, ask the center. For the inspection itself, see our study on the price of the contrôle technique.
Need the list of contrôle technique centers? We send it with the contact details available, for the scope you choose.
Get the full listHow can you avoid a contre-visite?#
Nearly 1 car in 5 is sent to a contre-visite (UTAC's 2025 report). Before the inspection, check the most common causes of a contre-visite that you can assess yourself.
1. Brake lights and bulbs. Have someone look behind the car while you brake, then turn on each light.
2. Tires. Look at the wear indicator, a small ridge at the bottom of the grooves: if the tire's surface reaches it, the tire has to be replaced. Also look for cuts and visible damage.
3. Headlight alignment. A misaligned headlight is the defect most often noted at the inspection. It is hard to judge by eye: have your auto repair shop check it before the inspection.
Frequently asked questions#
Is the contre-visite included in the price of the inspection?#
No: you still have to pay for the contre-visite, €15 to €30 typically, and the repairs at the auto repair shop.
Serious manufacturer recall (Takata airbag): why a contre-visite?#
Since January 1, 2026, a car covered by a serious manufacturer recall ("stop drive") and not repaired gets a critical failure. It can no longer be driven from the next day, until it is repaired, and then it goes back for a contre-visite.
How much does a motorcycle contre-visite cost?#
About the same: €15 to €30 typically, according to the prices declared to the government. Motorcycle prices are detailed in our study on the price of the motorcycle contrôle technique. For a light commercial vehicle or a motorhome, we have no figure: ask the center.
Does a cheap center charge more for the contre-visite?#
No, on the contrary: the centers where the inspection is cheapest are also, typically, those where the contre-visite is cheapest. For your next inspection, our guide cheap contrôle technique explains how to find these centers.
Further reading#
The detailed figures, for the curious, journalists and professionals.
The official contre-visite prices, in figures
Prices declared by 6,093 centers for a car: low price of €15 typically, high price of €30, a typical gap of €18 between the two (the middle value of the gaps between each center's lowest and highest prices, calculated center by center). 548 centers declare a single price. The high price reaches €40 or more in 1,725 centers (more than 1 in 4), €50 or more in 1 center in 10, and €120 at most. 2,845 contre-visite prices, nearly half, date from 2020: a price stays in force until the center declares a new one (DGCCRF, the French consumer fraud control agency).
In a little more than half of the centers, the high price does not exceed €30. With the inspection (€80 typically), the total runs from €95 to €110, repairs on top. At the centers with an inspection at €70 or less, the highest contre-visite price is typically €25, versus €40 at those with an inspection at €90 or more.
Depending on the inspection price, the contre-visite also changes: out of 100 centers at €70 or less, 23 offer it free at least in some cases; out of 100 centers at €90 or more, 4.
| Inspection price | Contre-visite, high price | Sometimes free |
|---|---|---|
| €70 or less | €25 | 23 in 100 (165/705) |
| €71 to €79 | €30 | 9 in 100 (181/1920) |
| €80 | €30 | 8 in 100 (70/852) |
| €81 to €89 | €35 | 5 in 100 (107/2059) |
| €90 or more | €40 | 4 in 100 (21/556) |
| Network | Contre-visite, low and high price, typically | Offer it free at least sometimes |
|---|---|---|
| Dekra | €15 and €35 | 77 of 904 |
| Autosur | €15 and €33.5 | 41 of 598 |
| Autovision | €15 and €30 | 59 of 650 |
| Sécuritest | €15 and €30 | 43 of 757 |
| Other centers | €15 and €30 | 324 of 3,184 |
Free contre-visites, in figures
544 centers declare a low price of €0 to the government (1 in 11); only 85 declare it as always free. On the websites, 67 say the contre-visite is free. When a condition is written next to it, half the time it requires having the inspection done at the same center; otherwise, the first contre-visite only, the "visual" contre-visite, a time-limited offer or a network "package" with no further detail. Of these 67 websites, 24 nevertheless declare a low price above €0 to the government: this is not necessarily a fault, since centers declare their reference prices, excluding promotions, according to the fraud control authority (DGCCRF).
What the center websites say
Out of 4,015 websites read, 3,840 mention the contre-visite and 193 give its price or say it is free: 67 free, 126 paid (€20 typically, from €5 to €50). The pages of the big networks (Dekra, Autosur, Autovision, Sécuritest) almost never give it: 16 out of 2,700; the other centers, 1 in 7. Paid prices compared with the declared price: 107 within the range (more than 8 in 10), 11 above, 8 below.
This first reading kept only one price per page, and missed the pages that show several. A second review of the same page text, using a fixed rule, identifies at most 314 websites that list at least one contre-visite price or say it is free (7.8% of the websites reviewed, fewer than 1 in 10), including 21 from the big networks. A sentence shared by 102 pages of the same publisher ("On average, expect about €30 for a contre-visite…") is not a center's price: it is not counted.
| Websites that say it is free: condition written | Websites |
|---|---|
| No condition written next to it | 24 |
| Inspection done at the same center | 22 |
| Network "package" with no detail | 13 |
| First contre-visite only | 4 |
| Visual contre-visite only | 2 |
| Time-limited offer | 2 |
| Network | Websites read | List a price or say it is free |
|---|---|---|
| Dekra | 678 | 6 |
| Autosur | 598 | 7 |
| Autovision | 657 | 0 |
| Sécuritest | 767 | 3 |
| Other centers (mostly independents) | 1,315 | 177 |
The prices by type of contre-visite
A fixed rule applied to the text of the 4,015 pages, with every result rechecked, found that 77 websites post a price for the visual contre-visite and a price for the contre-visite with equipment (test bench, hardware, "extended"); 72 of them were not in the first reading. The visual one is cheaper on 72, at the same price on 5, more expensive on none. Typically: €15 for the visual one, €25 with equipment.
Among the 14 websites that distinguish 1 bench from 2 benches or more: €20 for the visual one, €25.5 with 1 bench, €31 with 2 benches or more, typically; 6 of these websites, all from the same network, post the same price schedule (€21, €26 and €31). The price goes up at each step on all 14 websites.
8 websites post a "full," "total" or "complete" contre-visite, from €40 to €89; 4 of them, from the same company, at €45. The word is the center's.
Same center or another center, in figures
Only 128 websites, 3 in 100 of the websites read, post these two prices; 126 are centers outside the big networks. Customers whose cars were inspected elsewhere typically pay €20 more. For a contre-visite using equipment, expect to pay around €25 at the same center; the gap from the "elsewhere" price is then typically €10.
Across these 128 websites: 126 more expensive elsewhere, 2 at the same price, none cheaper. The gap reaches €20 or more on 82 websites. Across the 128 websites, the contre-visite typically costs €15 at the same center and €35 elsewhere; 16 offer it free to their own customers. 12 of these websites, all from the same network, post the same price schedule (€37 and €57); excluding them leaves the typical prices unchanged (€15 and €35, with 114 out of 116 charging more after an inspection elsewhere). For the websites added on October 9, the "same center" price used is the lowest one the website posts for its customers, often that of the visual one. Even compared with the highest "customer" price of each page (that of the bench contre-visites when there are any), the "elsewhere" price remains more expensive on 99 of the 119 websites where this price can be read (cheaper on 9). These centers themselves declare a high price of €35 typically to the government. Compared with the high price the same center declares, the "elsewhere" price is equal to it on 63 of the 128 websites and exceeds it on 41.
| How much more elsewhere | Websites |
|---|---|
| less than €10 | 8 |
| €10 to €19 | 36 |
| €20 and more | 82 |
The causes of a contre-visite, in figures
In 2025, 19 in 100 car inspections resulted in a required contre-visite, according to UTAC's annual report. For cars over 10 years old, 25 in 100 inspections require a contre-visite, compared with 12 in 100 for cars from 7 to 10 years old (Ministry of Transport). For cars and light commercial vehicles (UTAC's 2025 report): misaligned headlights, nearly 5 inspections in 100; seriously damaged tire, more than 3 in 100; worn tire, 2 in 100; brake light that does not work, nearly 2 in 100.
The total cost in the same city
In 1,218 cities that have at least two centers with a contre-visite price, the center that is cheapest for the inspection is not the cheapest in total (inspection and contre-visite at its high price) in 270 cities. The savings are €8 typically, and reach €10 or more in 118 cities.
The regions
| Region | Centers | Contre-visite, high price typically |
|---|---|---|
| Centre-Val de Loire | 309 | €30 |
| Grand-Est | 526 | €30 |
| Hauts-de-France | 514 | €30 |
| Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 677 | €30 |
| Occitanie | 666 | €30 |
| Réunion | 59 | €30 |
| Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 802 | €32 |
| Normandie | 356 | €32 |
| Pays-de-la-Loire | 387 | €32 |
| Bourgogne-Franche-Comté | 356 | €32.5 |
| Bretagne | 362 | €35 |
| Martinique | 41 | €35 |
| Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 417 | €35 |
| Île-de-France | 568 | €35 |
| Corse | 22 | €45 |
| Guadeloupe | 25 | €45 |
What the other sources say
| Source | What it publishes | Comparison with our study |
|---|---|---|
| idGarages (10/01/2026) | contre-visite from €15 to €40 | same low price; a high price of €40 or more is seen at more than 1 center in 4, the typical high price is €30 |
| CapCar (08/15/2018) | contre-visite at "less than €20" | true for the low price in 2026 (€15), not for the high price (€30) |
| L'argus (02/26/2025) | inspection price "excluding the cost of the contre-visite" | same finding in the declared prices: two separate prices |
Our other studies are in the Scalon Observatory, including the number of auto repair shops in France and the shops that fit tires.
Method#
The official prices come from the public file of the fraud control authority (DGCCRF), extracted on September 24, 2026: 6,093 centers declare a contre-visite price for a car there. We read the websites of 4,015 centers, 2 in 3 of the centers that declare their prices to the government, on October 8 and 9, 2026, to note what they say about the contre-visite. 77 of them post a price for the visual contre-visite and another with equipment, 128 a price for their customers and another for a car inspected elsewhere: our prices by defect type and by inspection center come from these websites. Some records were checked a second time, and every record comparing "same center" and "elsewhere" prices was checked individually.
Method and checks in detail
- What a row counts: one center and its latest declared price, which stays in force until the next declaration. Car: gasoline price, otherwise diesel. "Low price" and "high price": minimum and maximum contre-visite price from the DGCCRF form; "typically": middle value (median). "Free at least in some cases": minimum price at €0. The figure on the inspection price covers 6,092 centers: one of the 6,093 centers declares a contre-visite without an inspection price for a car. Same definitions as the study on the price of the contrôle technique and the "cheap contrôle technique" guide (shared figures checked by the calculation script).
- Websites: reading of October 8 and 9, 2026 done for the "cheap contrôle technique" guide (4,015 pages read out of 4,557 targeted, no sampling, read by Scalon with the Claude Haiku 5.5 model and the exact quote found in the page). Nothing was reread online for this article. A page read as "free" that writes "is no longer free" is discarded (1 page).
- "Elsewhere" price: fixed rule (labels "externe", "extérieure", "autre centre", "effectué ailleurs": external, outside, other center, done elsewhere) applied to the 314 pages that post a contre-visite price, and no longer only to the 193 of the first reading (correction of October 9, 2026, which takes the count from 56 to 128 websites; the direction of the result does not change). "Same center" price: that of the first reading for its 56 websites, otherwise the lowest of the page's "customer" prices. Each extract kept was reread a second time against the text of the page (
revue/releve_externe_v2.md); 4 discarded, 5 "customer" prices manually revised, 2 pages where the price read was already the "external" price. Comparison not always for an identical service (visual versus bench): see the "even compared with the highest" check in "Further reading." "Elsewhere" price compared with the high price the same center declares to the government (same DGCCRF export): equal on 63 of the 128 websites, above on 41, below on 24. - Share of cars sent to a contre-visite: 18.92% of passenger car inspections in 2025 (UTAC-OTC report). The often-cited figure of 19.3% covers all light vehicles (4,464,681 contre-visites prescribed out of 23,127,004 inspections), light commercial vehicles included; the most frequent causes cited in "How can you avoid a contre-visite?" also cover all light vehicles.
- Prices by type of contre-visite (added October 9, 2026): structured offers on the page (price then label) or, failing that, "contre-visite [label] [price] €" in the text; first price per type; labels for inspections done elsewhere, two-wheelers, LPG/CNG vehicles, emissions tests and motorhomes discarded; "restricted" and "simple" counted as visual, "extended" as with equipment (definitions given in a note by the websites that explain them). The labels and prices kept for the 77 pages were reread a second time (drafting session, Claude Opus 5.5); ambiguous labels ("1 to 2 benches," "benches" alone) settled by rule, one case by hand. The "at most 314 websites" share combines the first reading and a broad rule (the word "contre-visite" followed closely by a price in euros): it may count a neighboring price; it sees neither a price written before the word "contre-visite," nor a price in an image.
- Free conditions: read in the quote noted; a condition written elsewhere on the page is not counted.
- Blind reread of the contre-visite field (fresh reader, without the first reading's answer): 20 values kept with no false positive; 1 miss out of 15 empty ones reread; 1 different amount. The share of websites that give a price is therefore a minimum.
- What the measurement does not see: prices in an image, in a PDF or on a booking page not read; the price actually paid at the counter; centers with no online page. The "same center / elsewhere" and "free" counts cover the pages read that mention them: they are counts, not estimates for all of France.
- Not published: no center name.
Cite this study#
Scalon Observatory, "Contre-visite (retest) cost in France: €15 to €30, sometimes free," October 14, 2026: according to the prices declared to the DGCCRF by 6,093 centers (09/24/2026), a car contre-visite costs €15 to €30 typically; across 4,015 center websites read on October 8 and 9, 2026, 126 of the 128 that post two contre-visite prices charge more for a car inspected elsewhere (€15 at the same center versus €35 elsewhere typically). https://scalon.fr/en/blog/controle-technique-retest-cost
Sources#
The sources, with their links
- DGCCRF, dataset "prix-controle-technique", data.economie.gouv.fr, export of 09/24/2026: https://data.economie.gouv.fr/explore/dataset/prix-controle-technique/
- Center websites read on October 8 and 9, 2026; Autovision, Dekra, Autosur and Sécuritest locators noted on 09/24/2026 (Scalon Observatory).
- Service-public.fr, sheet F2878 (deadline, validity, inspection report, fine), verified on 01/01/2026, accessed 10/09/2026: https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2878
- UTAC-OTC, Bilan 2025 des contrôles techniques des véhicules légers (January 2026, put online 03/18/2026), summary p. 4 and p. 6: https://www.utac-otc.com/Bilan%20Annuel/Derni%C3%A8res%20publications/document_integral_VL_2025.pdf
- UTAC-OTC, page "La contre-visite", accessed 10/09/2026: https://www.utac-otc.com/vehicule_leger/le_controle_technique/Pages/contre-visite.aspx
- Arrêté du 18 juin 1991, article 8, version in force since 03/27/2022, accessed 10/09/2026: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/article_lc/LEGIARTI000045270604
- Arrêté du 18 juin 1991, annexe I, F, version in force since 01/01/2026, accessed 10/09/2026: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/article_lc/LEGIARTI000042548649
- Ministère des Transports, page "Contrôle technique des véhicules", updated 09/24/2026, accessed 10/09/2026: https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/politiques-publiques/controle-technique-vehicules
- Code de la route, articles R323-1 through R323-27, accessed 10/09/2026: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/section_lc/LEGITEXT000006074228/LEGISCTA000006159587
- Assemblée nationale, question écrite n° 14316, response from the Ministère des Transports, JO of 07/14/2026: https://questions.assemblee-nationale.fr/q17/17-14316QE.htm
- Service-public.fr, actualité A18705, 12/11/2025: https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/actualites/A18705
- Arrêté du 29 juillet 2020, article 2, version in force on 01/01/2026: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000042185178/
- prix.conso.gouv.fr, official comparison site for contrôle technique prices, page accessed 10/09/2026: https://prix.conso.gouv.fr/controle-technique
- DGCCRF, enquête sur les centres de contrôle technique, 03/02/2023: https://www.economie.gouv.fr/dgccrf/laction-de-la-dgccrf/les-enquetes/centres-de-controle-technique-des-vehicules-des
- DGCCRF, price declaration form (FAQ), accessed 10/08/2026: https://teleassistance.dgccrf.finances.gouv.fr/?app=prix-controle-technique
- idGarages, page dated 10/01/2026: https://www.idgarages.com/fr-fr/prestations/controle-technique
- CapCar, 08/15/2018: https://www.capcar.fr/blog/realiser-un-controle-technique-pour-pas-cher
- L'argus, 02/26/2025: https://www.largus.fr/actualite-automobile/controle-technique-pas-cher-nos-bons-plans-pour-payer-moins-30039117.html
Do you sell to contrôle technique centers?
Equipment, software, insurance, training: 6,784 centers were approved for cars and light commercial vehicles at the end of 2025 (UTAC-OTC). Scalon lists the 6,133 centers that declare their prices to the government, all vehicle categories, with their network, their inspection and contre-visite prices, and their website when there is one.